


It's a Promise

by Magefeathers



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Clueless Tsukki, Fluff, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Junior High, M/M, anxious yamaguchi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 21:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8817193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magefeathers/pseuds/Magefeathers
Summary: Yamaguchi wants to be excited that he and Tsukishima will be going to the same junior high, but he can't help but worry that Tsukki will leave him behind in favor of other friends.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So... I wasn't really thinking particularly hard about the timeline when I wrote this. I haven't read the manga yet, only watched the anime, and I kind of assumed the scene we see of lil yams and tsukki in class together was in junior high, and since they met in a park and played in basically a neighborhood team together, I assumed they didn't go to the same elementary school. But, now that I think a little harder about it, I think it makes more sense timeline-wise if they were in elementary together? And I'm not sure if manga canon clarifies at all, but. It's written, so here it is. I hope you all enjoy!

Yamaguchi Tadashi couldn't recall a single more exciting moment than the day he'd asked his teammate and tentative friend what junior high he'd be going to, and the other boy had replied with the name of Yamaguchi's own future school.

"Really, Tsukki?" Yamaguchi had gasped, joy welling up in his eyes. "I am too! We'll be classmates!"

"Don't get so excited," Tsukishima replied, shifting his gaze off to the side, avoiding Yamaguchi's gleeful eyes. "It's not that big of a deal."

"It is too!" Yamaguchi was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I'll get to see Tsukki all the time!"

And Tsukishima got that look on his face that Yamaguchi loved, the same flustered but slightly smug look he'd gotten when they really spoke for the first time, when Yamaguchi had gushed over how cool his shoes were, and Tsukki had bragged about his brother. Yamaguchi knew what was coming next, but that faint hint of a blush betrayed the truth that Tsukishima was actually touched by his words.

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," he said, but his lips were trying hard to squash away a smile, and it made Yamaguchi grin all the wider, even as he stopped bouncing.

"Sorry, Tsukki!"

As the new school year grew closer, however, Yamaguchi became steadily less excited and more nervous. Tsukishima Kei was the coolest guy Yamaguchi had ever met, nonetheless befriended, and it occurred to Yamaguchi that just because he was the only one Tsukishima was friends with on their youth group's volleyball team, that didn't mean the other boy didn't have more friends at school. What if they got to junior high together and Tsukki already had a whole flock of friends to follow him around? What would Yamaguchi do then? Sure, there were a handful of other students he was _friendly_ with, but none of them were really his _friends_. Not the way Tsukki was.

The first day of junior high came, and Yamaguchi left his house expecting to make the walk to school alone, as he always had. As he approached the end of his street, the point where he and Tsukishima always parted ways on their walks home from volleyball practice, Yamaguchi was surprised to see Tsukishima leaning against the post of the street sign, facing away from him.

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi asked as he approached, drawing the taller boy's attention. "What are you doing here?"

Tsukishima turned toward him with a shrug. "We're going to the same place. We may as well walk together."

Yamaguchi's face split in a wide grin. "Okay, Tsukki!"

As they walked, they chatted about what junior high might be like, what kinds of boys might be on their new volleyball team, what kinds of kids might be in their class. Yamaguchi wanted to be excited at the revelation that they were, in fact, in the same class, but anxiety still nipped at his mind. It would be one thing if Tsukishima had so many other friends that Yamaguchi never got to see him anymore, but it would be all the worse if he'd have to watch Tsukki with all those other friends, day in and day out. 

Their conversation faded into silence, and by the time they'd reached the school, Yamaguchi was so on edge that it made him jumpy. Every time another student ran by, he'd expected them to be running up to Tsukki. Every time a voice rang out over the chatter of the halls, he'd expected to hear excited shouts of _'Tsukishima-kun!'_ Making it to their classroom undisturbed seemed like an incredible feat, and yet they found their way without incident. As the pair stood at the side of the room among their classmates, waiting for the teacher to assign their seats, they drew little more attention than a freckled boy and a boy who was head and shoulders taller than the rest of his age group typically did. 

It felt bizarre, but the first day of junior high went even better than Yamaguchi had hoped it would. He and Tsukishima had gotten to walk to school together, they were in the same class, they ate their lunch together, they turned in their applications for the volleyball club together, and then they walked home together. No one had tried to drag them apart. No one had stolen Tsukki away. The next day was the same, and the day after, and the day after, and by the end of their first week of school, Yamaguchi was equal parts relieved and confused. 

The start of the second week signalled the start of club activities. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were the unwilling leaders of the first years, having already had experience and knowledge from playing on their youth team, and being less intimidating (if only slightly) to approach with questions than the senpais were. Despite all the attention they received, however, none of their teammates seemed particularly friendly towards them. Conversation that veered into personal territory very rarely included the pair, and no efforts were made to get to know either of them outside of the club. While Yamaguchi was used to such regard towards himself, he was surprised that Tsukishima was being treated the same. Part of him worried that his presence, his _friendship_ , was bringing Tsukki down, tarnishing his coolness somehow in the eyes of others... but Tsukishima didn't seem to mind, or even notice, the treatment.

Which got Yamaguchi thinking.

"Hey, Tsukki?" he asked one day, as they walked from their classroom to the gym where volleyball practice was held. Tsukishima glanced over at him to signal that Yamaguchi had his attention, but didn't reply. 

"Did you..." Yamaguchi's courage faltered slightly, his words dying on his lips as he realized how insensitive they might seem. He chewed at his lower lip, trying to decide on the best way to word his question.

"Did I, what?" Tsukishima prompted, pausing in his stride and cocking his head at the smaller boy.

"Before we met," Yamaguchi began carefully, twiddling his fingertips together and avoiding Tsukishima's eyes, "...did you have a lot of friends?" He glanced upward just in time to catch the blond blink in confusion.

"Not really." Tsukishima shrugged. "Did you?" Yamaguchi shook his head, inwardly pleased that it wasn't his presence that was causing Tsukki's lack of popularity, though still saddened by his friend's words. 

"No, I'm not good at making friends," he answered. Before his courage could flee him again, he took a deep breath and caught Tsukishima's gaze. "But I was thinking, if Tsukki isn't good at making friends either, then we should be together forever." The words fell from his lips in a jumbled rush, racing to get out before he could stop himself. "That way, we'll both always at least have one friend."

They held their eye contact for a few silent seconds, and Yamaguchi could feel his face heating up. He worried if that had been a stupid thing to say, if now Tsukki would find him lame and decide to deny his friendship entirely. He was panicked almost to the point of taking his words back, when Tsukishima finally replied.

"Okay."

The answer was so simple, it took Yamaguchi a moment to process. By the time his brain accepted the fact that Tsukishima had just agreed to be his friend _forever_ , Tsukishima had already turned and continued walking. A wide smile spread across Yamaguchi's face as he dashed the few steps needed to catch up to his friend.

"It's a promise!" he declared, and although he couldn't see the soft blush or faintly upward-curved lips that decorated Tsukki's face, he took the blond's lack of rebuttal for agreement.

After practice that night, Yamaguchi dared to let a pleased smile creep onto his lips as he and Tsukishima walked home. 

"What is it?" Tsukishima asked, cocking his head to the side as he looked down at Yamaguchi.

"Ah, it's nothing, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi waved away the words, embarassed he had been caught. "I'm just happy, is all."

"Just happy," Tsukishima repeated, and although it wasn't spoken as a question, Yamaguchi recognized it as Tsukki's way of requesting more information. He wondered how he could elaborate without giving himself away; Tsukki would probably find the selfish worries he'd been having uncool.

"I really like junior high so far," Yamaguchi decided on, grinning at his friend as he spoke. Tsukishima watched him for a moment, brows drawn together as if he were searching for something in Yamaguchi's features, before turning his gaze back toward the path before them.

"Me too," he replied, and Yamaguchi only grinned wider.


End file.
